


The Nightingale Meets the Wolf

by LadyGraceGrey



Series: Little Red Nightingale, and the Dread Wolf [1]
Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Angst, Awkward Crush, F/M, RP based, Romance, crack ship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-12
Updated: 2015-06-12
Packaged: 2018-04-04 00:27:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,850
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4119961
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyGraceGrey/pseuds/LadyGraceGrey
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Spymaster Leliana accepted the Apostate Solas as an authority on the Fade and the Breech, she couldn't have known how much she would grow to... respect him. Yes of course, that's it. Just colleagues that work closely with each other. That share meals, tales, occasionally songs when they have also shared wine. It is nothing to gossip about, nothing to balk and sneer for. It simply..... Is complicated and simple all at once. And they don't speak of it. Ever. This was how it started, and they have no idea how it will end.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Nightingale Meets the Wolf

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to Crack Ship Space! For those that know me, you may also know that I Role Play on Face Book with other writers. This was one of my favorite pairings, and the Talented coauthor of this tale plays Solas, while I play Lily (Shortened version of my character name so bear with the abbreviation please!). I am well aware this is not a popular ship, so if you would like to know my reason please do ask away! If not.... I would highly suggest you not read this or the drabbles to follow. 
> 
> This is not your typical romance, of course it wouldn't be. Solas and Lily never acknowledge their attraction openly. So... I hope you enjoy! 
> 
> Legend for RP formating; 
> 
> *...* ((Actions))  
> -....- ((Actions))
> 
> "..." ((Speech))
> 
> *"...."* ((Remembered or heard speech, other characters speech))  
> -"..."- ((Remembered or heard speech, other characters speech))  
> /.../ ((Emphasis on a Word, CAPS in you will))
> 
> Line Breaking a page signals a POV turn, or character change.

#  The Nightingale Meets the Wolf;

 

*She walks into his rotunda with the satchel of latest notes and sketches of the breech*

 

"Solas... I do hope we can both benefit from working together in the future. If you need anything, you may come to me directly. I have access to more... Indirect trade lines we might say." 

 

*She places the satchel on his desk, and sketches a bow. Turning to leave quickly so as not to disturb his work.*

 

* * *

 

Though he was in deep thought with the notes he was reading already on his table, he paused in his reading for a moment when he heard her footsteps turn to leave. Looking up, he replied softly in a fair tone. 

 

" Think nothing of it. The fate of innocent lives rests on the balance here in the midst of war. If my knowledge and expertise can be used to save those caught in the crossfire, I gladly offer my assistance. Though if you have a moment, there is something I would like to discuss with you that troubles me.."

* * *

 

*She paused, her hand on the doorframe as she was leaving. Thinking a moment before replying. She did have other business to attend. A stack of missives from the village /He/ claimed to hail from. 

 

Hardly out of line for the Spymaster of the Inquisition to have the background of its proposed members. But... 

 

She glanced behind her to his leaning form. The desk was cluttered but even from here she could see a semblance of order. And an issue he was already aware of would no doubt be important. 

 

A bit of field practice then? To know him better in close quarters while working on the breech itself, such an opportunity invaluable. 

 

She smiled lightly and turned to pace back to his side.*

 

"Of course Solas. You are correct, there is much to be done for the sake of the people's safety in this time. If I can help, I will do what needs done."

 

*She paused by The satchel and opened the flap of the closed bag to start removing papers. Busying her hands so she could study his work discreetly.*

 

"What was on you mind?"

 

*She asked softly.*

* * *

 

He scanned over the reports that were in his hands already before handing them to her to look at.

 

"These are reports from the Temple of Mythal. I am sure you have seen it, yes? I was inquired by the inquisitor to decode some writing that one of Scout Harding's people found by an old shrine.." 

 

He paused for a moment, trying to decided if informing her on all he knew in the walls of Skyhold was a wise idea or not.

 

"I have decoded them as requested them but what I found is most disturbing...It seems as if there were elves that were attempting to make a ritual of sorts of their own kin, hoping to live longer..using the blood of a golden halla..I am unsure the state of this shrine, but this could prove to be a problem if found by someone who wishes to use the power of this altar for devious reasons."

* * *

 

*She was stopped from watching his movements by the story he spun. Listening she could detect no variations in his speech. The rhythm of his words gave no hitch that a liar may hold before spinning a tale.

 

Even still... This seemed far fetched. She took the papers and set down her own. Pacing in to the light to read them, but also to see the quill strokes better. She frowned and bit a lip. A few strokes were harder, cutting into the parchments as he wrote. A shaken hand and a carefully crafted sentence. The hallmarks of poorly formed turn of phrase. 

 

Strangely.. His translations therein where of the names of the Elvhen Gods. For whatever reason, he had... Changed something? No... No truly for the rest of the page was as sloppy and quick in the writing as one would expect of a rough translation. 

 

She cut a glance to him as she skimmed the page. Perhaps... A God he worshiped? One he did not want named? It was not important, that she was sure of. However intrigued she was, not all puzzles need delving into. 

 

She paced back to the desk to place that parchment among the pike. Leaning against it she leveled him with a serious expression.* 

 

"A serious matter indeed Solas. Tell me, do they have any real hope of attaining this... Immortality? I cannot do much on mere rumor. There must be a movement of action before it can be seen as a threat. Has this... Ritual, has it been done before?" 

 

*She could not quite keep the curiosity from her voice. As a Bard she had heard tales and songs of the Elvhen immortal life span, of their Uthenera, the endless dream. But to have an opportunity to learn more... For the Inquisition of course.*

* * *

 

He had his hands folded behind his back as he thought on her question. As one who wondered the Fade often, it was not rare for him to see things that were strange,even to those of the older Elvhen. Their customs were obviously far different than what they were in the present day. 

 

"In a way..yes..We were not in the area long enough for me to get a properly explore the area. But I did sense distraught spirits near by as we were heading closer to the temple..I wouldn't put the idea of it past them."

* * *

 

*She couldn't help but notice his stance. Like a... Like a soldier, giving a report! He was positively in a stance of an well trained man in a well trained force. 

 

She frowned and glanced back at the papers scattered on the desk before her. The fade... She had heard stories from various people. How he travels within it's bounds, spoke with spirits. Some even claimed he had seen history itself. Sighing she pushed herself back from the desk to address him.*

 

"Well then... If this threat is as terrible as you claim, I will send scouts to try and make peace with the Elven people camped in the temples bounds. We will of course needs the details of the ritual... And this Halla will need to be located to make sure we can get it safely away from the tribes without suspicion. What you ask of me Solas.... It is no small task. We could spark a war between the peoples once again with the slightest misstep. I think I will need you to share what you know of the Dalish if we are to proceed cautiously."

 

*She paced, a list of items, requisitions, bribes and informants forming in her mind. A month of planning would have made this easier. But as it was, they had little time to spare on their own. She could hardly rely on the banns of the area to help. Many still held the Elven People in contempt.

 

She sighed wearily. This would be a chore more than a task, but no less important. She glanced at Solas, smiling tightly.*

 

"It appears... We have much more to do than I thought. Tell me Solas, do you prefer wine or tea? I have a feeling this will be a rather long night unfortunately. I must get my scouts mobilized by dawn, and that will require me to know all I do not currently in time. I do hope you will help me in this?"

 

*Both a Question and an order. She was still his superior, but she held no illusions of his cooperation. He would refuse to assist or accept. She could do nothing but ask.*

* * *

 

He gave her a slight nod of his head, pleased to hear that his concern for the makeshift altar was taken into consideration. Though he was no true fan of the Dalish, he did know a great deal of their customs and pantheons.

 

"If there is any way I can assist, my knowledge is at your disposal. I shall do what I can. A long night it will be indeed." Solas parted from the formal stance he made as he considered her first question. Neither were really a positive idea. However, considering how troubled this whole situation made him feel, he was willing to make a compromise with the lesser of the two evils. 

 

"Tea, if you do not mind? It is not my favorite beverage to consume but I fear my mind is far too troubled to allow the consumption of alcohol to fog my thoughts as I assist you this evening."

* * *

 

*She smiled kindly and bowed her head to him.*

 

"Of course Solas. I will have food brought up to the Rookery then as well. Meet me when you're ready, and we can begin."

 

*She turned to leave once again. Their would be territory maps of the area to gather. And she would need to see existing trade routes that crossed over the Dalish territories if they were to find suitable bribes for the information they would need.

 

As her list grew she paused, turning her head to acknowledge him. Hr had brought an important matter to her after all. Perhaps his intentions were not as.... Deceitful as she had first thought. Perhaps he did merely want to help. The least she could do would be to accommodate him.*

 

"Well then. I suppose Ma Serannas Solas. For bringing this to my attention. I will have much of what we will need I believe, but please feel free to bring anything else. I hope I will not be too poor a student." 

 

*She chuckled lightly. And left the rotunda for her Rookery above them. This should be... Interesting.*

* * *

 

He raised a brow at her latter comment. It seemed that every day was a surprise to him. Solas was unaware that Leliana knew elven, let alone how to properly use it. In a way, it was..flattering. He gave her a single nod before turning his attention to the desk he had station in the center of his room.

 

Solas gathered a few reference books he had with him to support his knowledge of the ancient texts of the forgotten language of the older elves as well as lore that supported his theory of what the alter was once used for. He was unsure if the rough sketch that Harding's assistant drew was accurate but he did his best to ensure that all was translated properly. With all things he needed in hand, Solas made his way up the stairs to where he would pass Dorian, who was reading over his spell book, as if he was looking for something in particular. He gave a slight nod of acknowledgement to the former Grand Enchanter and Grey Warden Fiona before going up a second flight of stairs to where he saw the Spymaster and her message birds occupying the top floor. 

 

He walked over to her table, neatly placing his books beside the maps she had laid out. "Would it be possible to have the scout that found the altar join us as well? There are a few details that I am curious about.."

* * *

 

*She finished Hooding the last of the Ravens freshly flown in. They would need to be bedded down early tonight. She chuckled light as the one currently on her arm pulled at her hair playful. In truth, this space was not ideal for them. They needed more cages, possibly an outdoor roost on the balcony. But there had been so little time. 

 

She didn't hear Solas enter the room. Not until he spoke did she realize he was with her. The thought was... Unnerving. Given her training as a Bard and a Rogue, she was a difficult person to sneak up on. 

 

She turned to glance at him as she finished the last catch on the soft leather hood. He was intriguing, but she wasn't sure if he was dangerous to the Inquisition. Most times, a simple conversation could tell her much about a person and their intentions. 

 

Belatedly, she realized that perhaps she should not have given him the card of knowing she could speak some Elven. Not much, enough for a song or tale. Enough to greet and vaguely understand. Yet it would have worked better in her favor to have held that information closer, given that she would be working with him still and did not yet understand his motives. 

 

Sighing softly she placed the bird back in it's cage and closed the wrought iron latch with a click.*

 

"I can send for Scout Harding of course. She was the lead on the last mission to the temple, and it is her sketches you have there. Give me a moment, I shall send someone to fetch her."

 

*She paced to the open door of the balcony, finding the page stationed there. A few brief words and the boy was off. 

 

Now the Rookery was empty for the Birds and them two. She walked back to the cabinet on the far end and retrieved a goblet for herself, and a mug for him. The wine she took from a decanter on her desk, but the tea would need to he sent for as there was no fire this high in the keep. 

 

She took a bit of time to organize the papers, and marking the map with the last know Dalish Camps. Each had a symbol to mark them as different sects. She took a step back and motioned to the map, grabbing parchments and a quill herself.*

 

"To start, while we wait for Harding, can you tell me the Surnames of these clans?"

* * *

 

Without looking into his books for a reference, Solas informed her of the names of the clans she wished to know. Being a wandering apostate who had more than one tie to elven history had it's advantages. These clans in particular he knew, as he traveled between these clans to learn how they saw history of their people. To say the least, he was beyond disappointed. 

 

After giving the last of the names, Solas gave her map a thoughtful glance. There was information that was missing. Pathways that would have been easier to travel and hidden alcoves that could be used for their resources.

 

"May I ask how old your map is?"

* * *

 

*She straightened her posture and frowned down at the map.*

 

"About 4 months I believe. But the area was... Difficult to navigate for many of my scouts. Reports on in fighting with the clans and some disappearing completely kept us from much of the area."

 

*She turned as she heard scout Harding crest the landing. Smiling at her she gestured to the map.*

 

"Solas seems to think there is more to the trouble in the Emerald Graves than we anticipated. I will need you report and any assistance you can give."

 

*She paced away, from the two. Seemingly to ready a bird for the next missive. But for her it was to his her face in the shadows of the Rookery to watch them interact. Solas was a hard man to read. His face gave away nothing as he spoke. Every word considered carefully, even spoken with a measure to it which was a tactic she learned for both masking lies.. And for learning language. It made her wonder what his native tongue was. He research on his supposed past sat waiting for her in a satchel hung over the back of the chair near him. She couldn't look at them now. Though the curiosity of the issue begged her to. 

 

What was worse, it was just that. Curiosity. It had no real bearing on the Inquisition. She could sense no malice in his intentions and she couldn't find a reason for anything about his background to apply to the task at hand. Yet, where she would have cast off the urge to puzzle out anyone else, she was drawn to him. Unprofessional and foolish for a Spymaster to be so distracted. Already this was less a job and more a game. Perhaps watching him talk with someone else would allow her to refocus, and give her a sign or trigger as to unraveling this... Enigma. She almost chuckled aloud. How very strange, and the last thing she would have expected of a Apostate Volunteer for their cause. A puzzle wrapped in the form of a man, and under her own nose. But this was beyond the point, and she shook her thoughts as she busied her hands to watch them discreetly.*

* * *

 

Scout Harding looked over to Solas, unsure what he could have discovered that might place her and the other scouting personnel in danger. If he was here then things surely were going to head down hill. This could not be good..

 

'This is it..' she thought, ' ...this is when Lilly is going to have me killed.' Giving a small small, she looked up to the apostate mage. "What do you have for me, Solas?" 

 

Solas thought for a moment as he looked between the maps that Lily had and the lead scout for the inquisition. The Dwarf was an honorable woman and he had all the respect in the world for her. Harding's work reminded him of his earlier days of causing trouble and scouting unknown lands of his forgotten people. "One of your scouts brought back an unusual sketch of an alter. The writing is clearly elvhen, be it the old language but still. Was this all your scout saw or was there more to it?"

 

Harding walked a little closer to the rough sketch that one of her scouts made. Her eyes focused a bit before pointing towards a stone that was behind the alter. "There..we saw some sketches of various writing but we could barely make it out enough to get a decent report on it. Between the moss and the battle we were in the middle of, we hardly had the time to write it down. But it did look a little bit like the writing we found on the altar there. Sorry I couldn't be much help beyond that. "

 

From what Harding described, it sounded like the altar was a key of sorts to that stone, most likely opening a passage that should have been there. He had to be careful with mentioning the stone. When he was in spirit form, going through that passageway was the easiest to get between clans and had used a small cave deep inside as a sort of refuge with Mythal when their people demanded attention. But..if the passageway there was covered in moss then it had surely been longer than he remembered since he last was there. 

 

Solas stood up straight and shook his head. "It is alright, Scout Harding. Your assistance was invaluable. Thank you."

 

The Dwarven rogue gave him a faint smile, unused to getting a compliment from Solas. "Uhh..yeah. Sure. No problem." She looks to Lily. "Need anything else, Spymaster?"

* * *

 

*She had been watching them. Discreetly of course. But now she turned away so the would not see the disappointed expression on her face. 

 

He had given away next to nothing. Except... How did he know to ask that? She sighed.*

 

"Harding, ready a small group of scouts to leave at daybreak. You will report here from updated maps and your orders. See the requisition offer for the supplies. Have him ready the standard caravan for a week's journey out and a week's stay."

 

*She heard the mumbled "Yes Ma'am." Followed by the scraping of a low bow and the shuffle of boots as she left quickly. 

 

She knew well her reputation for being ruthless. The fear it inspired had served her well so far, though she knew that could change with the wind. Harding had been the only one to hide her fear almost well. She respected that. As much as she respected her skills at relaying sketches. 

 

Now she was caught between her curiosity and letting too many cards show. She could of course make the logical leaps for him. But his own account would reveal much of his intentions. She debated. If she let her own theory come to light, she would lose the advantage at seeing him react and therein knowing him better. But... If she cut the conversation quickly with a well placed logical leap... She could learn more about the ritual itself. 

 

Steeling her spine she made her choice. Turning back to him with a smile that didn't reach her eyes she addressed him.*

 

"How did you know to ask that Solas? To my knowledge, Elvhen is read left to right. And with the script you translated for us, there were no visible breaks in the words that would indicate a segment missing. So tell me, how did you see this?"

 

*She paced back to the desk, and the sketch. Leaning over it to get a look for herself. There were of course other ways. Was it The stone work? An obvious section that was more or less weathered? A pattern the the altar? A portion that had stayed standing when it should have fallen. She scanned the page. Nothing. 

 

Was it... The plants? As she looked her panic rose. The plants would have to be vines, and even still flowering ones. The chisel and block working downward into stone caused grooves for water to collect making the flower grow in the direction of the flow of the lettering. These were ordinary vines, though the were there, it was nothing to indicate writing. She furrowed her brow. Unless... The clumping of the stalks was irregular. Sometimes close together in the oath of what shade and sunlight would hit the wall. Sometimes... Seeming to disappear altogether. One a whim she quickly turned the page upside down. No longer paying attention to the man standing beside her.

 

And she almost gasped. The longest stalk wove through a few stones before disappearing, not ending. The line made neatly to join with the longest middle cluster and ending in a perfect match the the overgrowth on top of the crumbled wall above the ground. She looked up at him sharply, her jaw setting as she pointed to what was clearly, a door.*

 

"Where does this lead, and how did you know of it?"

 

*A thousand thoughts flew through her head. Did he plan this? Was he a part? Was this a ruse, a trick, a lure to trap the spar forces they couldn't spare and weaken the Inquisition for something else? Was he trying to harass innocent Elven tribes for his own gain? To please a Local lord perhaps, a political move by using the Inquisition as a task force. A million scenarios and her own puzzlement at his waged war against her calm she struggled to hold onto. 

 

And perhaps she was merely tired, but she could have sworn she saw a hint of a smile from him even as her eyes flashed angrily and accusing.*

* * *

**Author's Note:**

> Please let me know what you think of this? This may end up as more of a series of fictions, and I hope it inspires others to like this ship. Much love to my readers, and please comment away! <3


End file.
